Ticket Refunds

[Tom]

Since I am open year-round I see many families in the summer . I spend time trying to reassure the little kids so they might be able to make it through here but if they chicken out early, like first room, I will usually refund the kid's ticket, although actually I'm usually losing two because an adult leaves to sit with the kid in their car.
This house is a "destination" (in tourist terms) and being as forgiving and friendly as I can be 99% of the time does help my business in the long run.
I have created a clientel of returning customers over these last 20 yrs., I don't think I did that could have happened by being an obviously greedy azz-whole!
"Cut off your nose to spite your face"? My nose is too short all ready!

Jim,

Having a spring/summer haunt "ride" myself, I do pretty much the same thing you mentioned. Parents are sometimes surprised I even go to that extent and show their appreciation. If I lose a kid, I lose an adult ticket as well so I try to comfort them into going. Each year I have more and more returning customers. Some kids/parents have made it a tradition during special events like 4th of July and such. If costumers demand a refund at the end of the ride, I ask them why they jumped/screamed so many times in the ride as I observed on the 16 cameras. They seem to forget their refund request and head out the door. No sense in arguing with them when you state the facts before they lie about it.
During the Halloween season, now that's a different story. Not as many kids/family even want to go in. LOL

[mindtumor]

I have given refunds to people before they have entered. I haven't had many ask for a refund but I have had a couple ask and based on their individual circumstances I have refunded their money. I wouldn't give one if you couldn't make it all the way through but I would give a pass. Sometimes it just isn't worth the arguement.

[Tom]

Sometimes it just isn't worth the arguement.

I agree. And it's also not worth the risk of those individuals coming back later to vandalize or destroy something you put so much into. The days aren't what they use to be.....

[Jim Warfield]

I have always wondered if the vandal mind was that way because they feel unable to ever have anything worthwile of their own?
Jealousy? Or is it boredom? Or just plain old stupid or mean?
When I was a kid I assembled and collected maybe a 1,000 plastic model kits, I never busted them up or set them afire, I have a room full of them still..so you can see why I feel very estranged to the line of destructive thinking as is too commonly found in the average destructo young person.
I also think that many of the haunted house vandals are mad because they feel the show is not worth the entertainment value per/dollar they had to pay for it.
Bad things also begin to happen when groups going through are too large, shielding the vandal from being noticed, also taking the show value down a notch or two because of the size of the group. It's pretty difficult to effectively scare or even entertain 15 or more people at once. somebody is always talking, looking off in the wrong direction, thinking thoughts found on a normal plain, actually attempting to sneak in some normalcy to distract them from the scares you are working on.

[Tom]

Jim, I think it's all of the above, but in certain folks too. One to add to the list is just shear showing off in front of their friends. The bully of the group.
But behind most vandals is their attitude deep down inside. These kinds of people are always trying to compensate for lack of a positive thing in their life (in my observance). If they're trying to be bold/unphased in the cue line, those are the ones to keep an eye on. Another thing I have to tend to is drunks when it gets late. I set my closing hours to about 10pm or so depending on the night and the crowd. Now the Halloween season is a different story, I'm manned and prepared for a month of stupidity. But all spring/summer long, I don't care to drain myself in the late night hours protecting my turf.
One more thing. I have a sign saying I can deny ticket sales to whomever I deem is intoxicated enough to possibly cause injury to themselves or others. They may not like it but they won't remember that the next day either, LOL. I usually call the local security prior to denying them sales, just in case. An easier method I've used on drunks is, "hey, it's a kiddie ride. You wouldn't like it". Hate to lie but it's for their own safety, and my props too.
Now it's time for a beer

[Tom]

Oh, and your right. Large groups suck.
Short and sweet...

[Jim Warfield]

A very talented bar owner would handle problem drunks like this:"I'm kicking you out right now, but if tommorrow morning if you still think I'm wrong for kicking you out, come back and we will talk about it."
Leaving the options open, rather than just flat out banning someone from the place kept him in business where others had failed miserably. The previous others were perminently evicting nasty bully-drunks and perminently losing their business.